Welcome to Panama, dude...A place to kick back, relax, and enjoy the lighter side of expat living in Panama!

So…if you’ve been following along, you’ve probably discovered that I incorporate a lot of pop-culture and movie references here. And it’s probably a good thing that I have about as many friends as Paul Rudd in “I Love You, Man”, because my constant regurgitation of movie lines and references probably gets more annoying than Fran Drescher’s voice…But some good can come out of all this movie knowledge, like this Ocho-list blog post about…

8 Great Movies Set in Panama

Okay, I couldn’t even make it through this movie that features a Panama Canal scene. Seeing Jaleel White in an entire 90 minute movie and having Erkel say “Did I do that” in my head wasn’t exactly fun. Yeah, that’s who Jaleel White is.

PanamaDude Rating: 1/5 palm trees

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# 7. Godzilla (1998)Alternate Title: Ferris Bueller Should Have Taken Another Day Off

Ferris Bueller Matthew Broderick stars in the classic Disney Tale of a cute Japanese reptile that sneaks its way across the Pacific Ocean via the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, through the Panama Canal and onward to New York City. Watch as hilarity and hi-jinks ensue while the oversized lizard tries to adjust to the chaotic lifestyle that is New York.

PanamaDude Rating: 1/5 palm trees

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# 6. SniperAlternate Title: Hey, isn’t that the dude from Major League?

This movie stars Tom Berenger (and yes, he was the catcher, Jake Taylor, in the movie Major League), playing a sniper who snipes rebels in the Panamanian jungles of…Panama. I think this movie would have been WAY better if it had starred Wesley Snipes. Just imagine the trailer…Wesley Snipes is…SNIPER!

Actually, this movie has absolutely nothing to do with sewing garments and everything to do with fabricating, rather “tailoring”, of a story that takes place right here in Panama. Give it a try, after all, it’s got the 2nd best James Bond ever with Pierce Brosnan. And please don’t ask who the best James Bond was (hint, it’s not Daniel Craig).

This film really has nothing to do with Panama aside from that it was filmed IN Panama. It stars Josh Hutcherson (RV, Little Manhattan, Hunger Games) and Benicio del Toro (Snatch, Traffic, also possibly the long lost relative of Bocas del Toro). It’s a decent flick that’ll keep your attention for almost two hours. What’s it about? Pablo Escobar, duh.

PanamaDude Rating: 3/5 palm trees

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# 3. 42Alternate Title: That Movie With a Black Dude That Wasn’t Morgan Freeman OR The Day Baseball Stopped Being a White-Man Sport

The story of Jackie Robinson’s struggle to break the colour (Canadian spelling) barrier. In this movie, spring training for the Dodgers takes place in Panama, which, unbeknownst to many, actually took place in Cuba, not Panama.

South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone take us on a journey of epic proportions, as All-American actor, Gary Johnston is recruited by a team of, uh…Americans…to save the world from the hands of the now deceased Kim Jung-Il…using marionettes??? Seriously? Okay, this has to be one of the funniest “films” ever made though and probably the funniest movie set in Panama.

No mas sarcasm here. This is an award winning documentary of the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama and a telling tale of “Collateral Damage”. If you live here, you should watch this. If you want to live here, you should watch this. If you’re a history buff, you should watch this. If you’re a Panamanian, you should watch this. And if you’re an American, you should watch this. Not only is this one of the better movies set in Panama, it’s a big part of the history of Panama.

PanamaDude Rating: 5/5 palm trees

Now, I know what you’re thinking; “What about Hands of Stone”? Well, that movie about Panamanian national treasure Roberto Duran (and starring Robert DiNero), has an October 2015 release date, so I can’t exactly rate that one now…or can I?